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Palliative Care Program Honored
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Media Releases
Palliative Care Program Honored
(July 18, 2005) — Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin today were cited by the American Hospital Association (AHA) for providing one of the leading palliative care programs in the nation. The program earned a Citation of Honor in the AHA’s annual Circle of Life Awards, which celebrate programs across the nation that make significant contributions to palliative and end-of-life care.
“It’s a privilege to be recognized for the work and ideas we feel are so important to our community,” said David E. Weissman, MD, director of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Palliative Care Program and a professor of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “This is an award for everyone involved, and we hope the success of our program helps inspire others in this area.”
Begun in 1993, the Froedtert & the Medical College Palliative Care Program was the first of its kind in Wisconsin, and currently serves about 850 patients annually. It remains the only such program in the state that combines clinical care, health professional education, community outreach and efforts toward institutional change — all aimed at improving care for the dying.
According to Weissman, most patients who receive care through the program suffer from cancer, neurological disorders or cardiopulmonary conditions. The aim of palliative care is to assist patients and their families with the emotional and physical anguish of chronic illness, especially as they approach the end stages of life.
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Palliative Care Program was one of 10 programs chosen for the Circle of Life Award by a selection committee made up of leaders from medicine, nursing, social work, and health administration. The committee focused on innovative programs that respect patient goals and preferences, provide comprehensive care, acknowledge and address the family or caregivers’ concerns and needs, and build systems and mechanisms of support to continue the program for future patients and caregivers.
The Circle of Life Awards are supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J., and are sponsored by the American Hospital Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the American Medical Association and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
For more information, contact:
Kathy Sieja, Froedtert Hospital, (414) 805-2618, ksieja@fmlh.edu
Jennifer Armstrong Gay, American Hospital Association, (202) 626-2342, jarmstronggay@aha.org
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